Reclaim What's Yours

Regardless of what time of year it is, the weather will always bring unwanted pests. In the winter, mice are generally looking for warmer spaces and will find a new home in places like your house, garage or shed. When the weather gets warmer, the warmer temperatures bring about pests such as termites. One or two pests is an easy fix but when they start bringing all of their friends into your home, you have a huge problem!

3 things that may cause infestation

1. Warm weather
2. Moisture
3. Construction

6 signs that you have an infestation problem

1. You find food in your cabinets that appear to have been nibbled on.
2. You find “feeding stations”. These are typically hidden places that rodents take food to be eaten.
3. Odd smells that you can’t rid with general cleaning.
4. Stains in the ceilings.
5. You find evidence of gnawing. Rodents will often eat through things to get to their food source.
6. You find a large amount of droppings.

Information you may want to know - The top 10 most infested cities in the U.S (according to Yahoo! News)

1.  New Orleans, Louisiana
2. Birmingham, Alabama
3. Houston, Texas
4. Tampa, Florida
5. Memphis, Tennessee
6. San Antonio, Texas
7.  Austin, Texas
8.  New York, New York
9. Miami, Florida
10. Orlando, Florida

If you feel that you have an infestation problem, you need to reclaim what’s yours! The first thing that you need to do is contact your local pest control company so that they can remove the rodents. Once this is done, the affected area needs to be properly cleaned. Properly cleaned does not mean grabbing a mop and some Mr Clean. You must have the area decontaminated in order to keep you and your family safe. Bio-One would be happy to protect you and your family from the viruses and bacteria that infestations bring into your home. Give us a call 24/7 at 301.473.6733.

Sell Faster with Bio-One Baltimore

 As a real estate agent, “dull” days don’t exist. While this is one of the greatest things about being a real estate agent, it’s not always great for buyers and sellers. The fact of the matter is that there are no two transactions alike which means that there can often be many challenges to overcome.

As you know, when someone is selling a home, there are many different challenges that can arise throughout the transaction and even before you’ve listed the home for sale. As a real estate agent, you’ll look much better in the eyes of the seller and buyer if you help navigate through these challenges. Having a company like Bio-One Baltimore on your side, can help you overcome these challenges and sell faster.

Here’s how:

1. We remediate mold. We’re sure you’ve come across more than one case of mold being present in a home that you are trying to put on the market. Don’t let this become an issue down the line. Depend on a company like Bio-One Baltimore to remediate the issue, not one that will just cover it up so it comes up again in the future. We are certified in mold remediation and will take this matter out of your hands so you don’t have to worry.
2. We remediate odor. As a real estate agent, you’re the non-biased person that can give an opinion on how the home smells. If there is the slightest sign that there is pet or smoke odor, it needs to be addressed immediately. No one wants to buy a stinky home.
3. We will decontaminate the area after a sewage backup. Sewage backups are a huge problem when trying to sell. It can often be an indication that something serious is wrong. Once a plumber has corrected the problem, they won’t clean the area and your general cleaning companies aren’t certified or equipped to do so either. If you want the job done right and so there won’t be a mold issue in the future, call Bio-One Baltimore for help.

While some of these issues may seem miniscule compared to others, you know that they can prevent a home from going on the market or even keep it on the market much longer than it should be. Of course, you want to sell as fast as possible and we want you to as well. If you ever run into these issues, give us a call 24/7 at 301.473.6733. We’ll be sure to get you selling faster!

How to Identify Mold in Your Home

Exposure to damp and moldy environments can have many adverse health effects. Often times, when mold is present, people show signs of a sensitivity to mold such as a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, skin and/or throat as well as coughing or wheezing. While many people are sensitive to mold, some are not, so it is important to understand what other signs of mold being present are. Below are some things to look out for to protect you, your family and your pets.

1. The most obvious sign – seeing mold. Mold comes in all shapes, sizes and even in a range of colors and is typically seen in areas with moisture.  
2. Another obvious sign – a moldy smell. Often times, mold will have a very distinct mildew or musty odor. 
3. Humidity. When the air is humid, there can often be condensation or water accumulation which takes a lot longer to dry out with humid air.
4. Water Leaks. If you see water leaks on the wall or ceiling, mold may be growing on the backside of the wall. Once it gets bad enough, it will grow through the drywall.
5. Flooding. When an area floods and is wet for more than 24 hours, it’s likely that mold will grow.
6. A damp basement. Basements don’t get much ventilation so there is often moisture. If you notice that your basement is damp more often than not, you may have a mold problem.
7. Peeling paint or wallpaper. If moisture is building up behind paint or wallpaper, it will often peel, crack, or bubble.
8.  Rust. When rust is present, you have a moisture problem such as high humidity, condensation, a leak or something similar.
9. Warping. If you notice that wood or drywall is bowing, there is most likely a moisture problem.

If you notice any of the above mentioned signs, there is a good chance that you have mold in your home. To assure that you, your family and your pets don’t experience any of the adverse effects of mold, get your home tested and then give us call to remediate your mold problem. You can reach us 24/7 at 301.473.6733. 

The Aftermath of the Crazy Cat Lady

We all know someone who we think has way too many cats. The question is, what is too many? Is it 5, 10, 20 or more? Based on our experience, we’d say that when a person can no longer give each cat the attention and care they need, they have too many! When they have too many, they become what society refers to as a “Crazy Cat Lady”. 

When there are too many cats in a living area, being called a crazy cat lady is the last thing the pet owner needs to worry about. Let us share some pretty scary information with you about people who hoard animals:

• More than 25% of animal hoarders’ beds are soiled from animal feces.
• 80% of reported animal hoarding cases had dead or sick animals in the house.
• Animal feces were found accumulating in living areas in 69% of animal hoarding cases.
•  Cats are involved in more than 65% of animal hoarding cases.

So what exactly do these statistics mean? They mean that the person, the animals and the home are in great danger. First and foremost, a person living in a feces filled home is more prone to getting E.coli among many other bacteria and diseases. If the owner is not caring for the animals, they can easily become ill without anyone even noticing because of the condition of the environment. As far as the home, the ammonia like smell is seeping into everything; furniture, carpet, walls, etc and the urine and feces is ruining things too. The house will need a great deal of sanitation and decontamination to become a healthy and livable environment again.

Bio-One Baltimore can not only help with decontaminating the home but we can also help provide support to the person who has become victim to their animal hoarding. We will do everything in a discrete manner so that no one even knows why we’re there. If you know a “crazy cat lady” that could use our services, please call us at 301.473.6733.

You've Already Paid Enough

Finding someone deceased from suicide or murder makes victims out of survivors, especially when it’s a loved one. Exposure to the deceased is a traumatic experience and leads to high levels of distress sometime to a point where life becomes debilitating. Regardless of the way a person dies, you and the rest of the family are left with unanswered questions, devastation, unimaginable circumstances, and countless blame.

With many suicides taking place in the home, loved ones are often faced with having to clean up the aftermath. This makes the tragedy even more horrific as more involvement with the deceased often leads to flashbacks and other symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) like isolation, panic attacks and a loss of hope. Not only are you dealing with grief from the death, but grief as a victim as well.

Bio-One Baltimore understands just how traumatic discovering a death can be. We have supported countless families as they push through the unthinkable. We are privy to some of the most intimate moments among families as they mourn and try to determine next steps. Having such a thorough understanding of exactly how detrimental this can be to everyone involved, it is our primary focus to offer as many resources that we can to provide support.

We partner with many agencies and non-profits that work with victims to assist with the aftermath. While many of our partners focus on providing support regarding funeral arrangements, bereavement and much more, we will be there to help you with the cleanup process to alleviate and prevent more emotional and mental distress.

Once you have the resources and support you need, and we have cleaned up the scene of the incident, we will then discuss payment. Many times when payment is discussed, those in need of services find that their insurance covers the cost of about 95% of services provided. We are happy to partner with so many insurance companies to be able to help victims of tragic death as we understand that you have already paid enough with all that you experience during this difficult time.

No one ever thinks that they will have such a horrific experience such as finding someone deceased. While we hope that you don’t ever experience it, please don’t wait until it happens to try to find someone to help you. Keep our information at hand in case the unthinkable were to happen. We are a phone call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 301.473.6733.

3 Things You Didn't Know About Hoarding

You’ve probably seen the show Hoarders or are at least aware that hoarding is when someone collects and saves items like a pack rat to the point that it causes them distress. As a company who cleans up hoarded areas, we’d like to share with you a few things that you may not know about hoarding.

1. Hoarding has a genetic component.

Hoarding is considered a disorder and many people diagnosed with the disorder suffer from compulsive hoarding. The department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at John Hopkins University School of Medicine did an OCD Collaborative Genetics Study and found that compulsive hoarding behaviors is linked to chromosome 14. So, the behavior can be passed down from parents to their children. Often times, it takes a trauma such as abuse to bring out the behavior. 

     

         2.  Hoarders fill up any space they’re given.

When people think of hoarding, they usually think of things piled to the ceiling but what they don’t realize is that hoarders actually use every space they can and it interferes with their daily activities and personal care. A study on hoarders over the age of 60 showed that 45% couldn’t use their refrigerator because it was either buried or it had non-food items in it. 42% couldn’t use their bathtub because it was filled with items and 10% couldn’t get to their toilet. As you can imagine, not being able to take a bath or use the toilet can dramatically affect their hygiene. As a result, many hoarders don’t have people around them because they are ashamed of the way they are.

        3.   Most hoarders are perfectionist.

Sounds counterintuitive, right? When someone’s a perfectionist, they see things as all or nothing. And believe me when I say that hoarders see it as all or nothing. I’ve seen it plenty of times. They have to get that “just right” feeling in order to feel content. As a result, they’ll do it over and over until they feel it’s “just right”. That may mean they won’t just have 5 shirts with the tags on them sitting in a pile. Hoarders will keep buying more until they feel they have enough, until it’s just right. This may mean they’ll have a room full of hundreds of them!

Some interesting facts, huh? We hope you learned something new about hoarding. To get more facts about hoarding and more, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @bioonebaltimore. If you know someone who hoards and need some help making their environment livable again, give us a call at 301.473.6733.